New jobs coming to Bessemer City, Kings Mountain

Tuesday

Two manufacturers are expanding their local operations, adding at least 38 jobs in the process, according to the Gaston County Economic Development Commission.

Firestone Fibers & Textiles Co. is adding to its North American headquarters and manufacturing plant in Kings Mountain, and Advanced Drainage Systems is expanding its footprint in Bessemer City. Economic Development Commission Director Donny Hicks said that the jobs the expansions are expected to bring will pay, on average, more than $39,000 — slightly more than the county average wage of roughly $38,000 per year. A lot of that depends on exact position and experience, though.

In both cases, the county and state helped entice the businesses with building-reuse grants — $100,000 in Advanced Drainage’s case and $300,000 in Firestone’s case. Gaston’s match for those will be $5,000 and $15,000, respectively.

“Those are tremendous aids in helping businesses expand,” Hicks said of building-reuse grants. “We have a couple more in the pipeline we hope to get finished before the end of the year.”

Part of what the Economic Development Commission does is try to encourage existing businesses to stay in town and expand.

Firestone, famous internationally for its tires and car-care operations, makes tire cord and related products at its 100 Firestone Lane facility in Kings Mountain, visible from I-85.. The company plans to invest $19.7 million to expand its plant and add new equipment, creating at least 25 jobs in the process, according to the Economic Development Commission. The plan would add about 110,000 square feet to its existing facility, which already takes up 483,916 square feet. About 324 people already work there.

Firestone first set up shop in Gaston County in 1935, with a production operation in Gastonia. The facility on the Gaston side of Kings Mountain has been around since 1992, and there’s still a plant in Gastonia.

Advanced Drainage, meanwhile, plans to invest about $3.4 million to expand its operations on East Maine Avenue in Bessemer City. The company, which makes high-performance concrete and composite pipe, has been in business in Gaston since 1999. Advanced Drainage plans to spend about $928,000 on facility expansion and $2.5 million in machinery and equipment while adding at least 13 jobs. About 88 people work there already, according to the county.

Advanced Drainage is a tenant at Bessemer City’s 425-acre SouthRidge Business Park. Earlier this year, Belgium-based Dhollandia MFG, which makes hydraulic lift gates for trucks, broke ground on its North American manufacturing facility at the same park, in a $30 million project that’s expected to create 150-200 jobs.

You can reach Dashiell Coleman at 704-869-1819 or on Twitter @DashiellColeman

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